In 1983 the Austrian Buddhists succeeded in getting the full legal recognition as an officially accepted religious group. This involved the right to deliver one weekly lesson of RI (Buddhist) to all pupils of that denomination from school starting age of 6 to finishing age 19, Education Authorities providing classrooms, paid teachers etc.

It was not before 1993 that the Ministry for Education had finally agreed to the curriculum submitted by the Österreichische Buddhistische Religionsgesellschaft, ÖBR (Austrian Buddhist Society). In September the same year Buddhist RI groups were started in Vienna, Graz and Salzburg.

These first few years were marked by enthusiasm, experiment, improvisation, opposition, boycott, fun and progress.

In the school-year 93/94 a few groups of  children of predominantly Chinese and Vietnamese origins were the first to receive instruction at a Buddhist temple in Vienna, a Grammar School in Graz and a Salzburg Comprehensive by the first three  teachers authorized  by the Austrian Buddhist Union (ÖBR).

Of course some of the pupils of Asian descent raised the sceptic questions, how a European should turn Buddhist and know enough to teach them. But learning from each other, mutual understanding and appreciation grew along with general knowledge about Buddhism and Buddhist culture, as well as insight into the infinite universe of the dharma.

One of  the highlights was a visit of pupils to Graz in 1995, where they saw an exhibition about Tibetan mandalas, were present at the construction and dissolution of a kalachakra sand mandala and were invited to a special dharma lecture for children by HH the Dalai Lama.

In 2001 an Institute for the In-Service Training of Teachers (BRPI) was founded for the growing number of Buddhist Religious Instructors at Austrian schools.

Meanwhile Buddhism is being taught in all the nine provinces of Austria and pupils, who do not belong to any of the recognized denominations, are also free to attend Buddhism classes. A number of students have chosen Buddhism as a subject for their final college exams (Matura).

Author: Mag. Kurt G. Krammer
Last Update: May 10, 2005/2549